When it’s as hot as it gets during Houston summers, we often reach for a sports drink to rehydrate, but have you ever looked at the ingredients in these products? They’re often filled with high fructose corn syrup, dyes and other artificial ingredients.
Sweet Mama’s April Ree, the executive chef at Deer Lake Lodge, recommends making your own Gatorade for your kids at home. What hydrates you in a sports drink is the salt, but you want good salt – not bad salt – in your drinks.
“The base is going to be a good salt that’s loaded with minerals. I like to use real salt, pink Himalayan sea salt,” explained Ree.
The other key ingredient is coconut water, which is loaded with electrolytes. Ree said the real thing is best, but you can also buy a carton of coconut water or even Coco Hydro, which is a dehydrated coconut water packet.
Here is her recipe:
MomMade FlavorAide
1 quart coconut water
1 tsp RealSalt
1/3 cup honey
1/4 cup fresh juice (fresh squeezed lemons, limes or oranges)
To make pink Gatorade, add beet juice. Blue pea flowers will dye it blue. Turmeric turns the drink a yellow-orange.
You can also add essential oils to flavor the drink. Make sure they’re consumable and that you serve them in metal or plastic.
